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Thursday, March 29, 2018

There is something soul-satisfying
about a good book and often I read late into the night.My reading choices vary, with Bible reading
being my highest priority, followed by Christian books that teach, stretch and challenge
me.And during those wee hours of the
night, Christian fiction both entertains and inspires.

A couple of years ago, my friend, Amy,
recommended a book to me. It was a book about real people: Mistaken
Identity:Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope.

Not long after that conversation, I
was at a retreat at U.P. Bible Camp and while eating in the camp dining room, I
spotted a book rack and, amazingly, Mistaken Identity was on that book
rack! The husband/wife teams (Don/Susie Van Ryn and Newell/Colleen Cerak) co-authored
this beautiful book and the Van Ryns were on staff at the camp! I was able to
meet them, buy a book and even have it signed.

The story revolves around two
families, both of whom had daughters involved in a serious auto accident that
claimed multiple lives. After the first responders managed the whole horrific
scene and all was sorted out, one daughter survived and was transported to the
hospital. In subsequent weeks, there was
a bizarre turn of events. The wrong daughter was identified as the survivor and
after five weeks, when the daughter emerged from a coma, the error was
discovered.

It’s a compelling read that weaves a
complex tale of loss, hope, faith and love in the face of a tragedy.Who was this young woman coming out of a coma?What more could be done to identify her? When
she could finally communicate, WHO DID
SHE SAY SHE WAS?

We are in the midst of the most
important week on the Christian Calendar, Holy Week.On what we call “Palm Sunday”, Jesus rode
into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with the crowds hailing him as “king”.
It was bedlam as the crowds shouted “Hosanna” (or, save us now!). Less than a week later those same people
turned on Him. Jesus was convicted, hung on a cross, suffered a terrible physical death and his body was placed in a borrowed tomb.

Earlier, during Jesus’ time of
ministry, Matthew 16 tells us about
a conversation Jesus had with His disciples.He first asked them, “Who do
people say that the Sonof Man is?”
They give Him a variety of responses. But the next question Jesus asked was
(and still is) of eternal importance: “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

We Jesus followers embrace the
best news of all, don’t we? That tomb could NOT hold Jesus!Three days after his body was placed there, He
vacated that dark, lonely space! In the days that followed, while Jesus still
walked the earth (before ascending to heaven), He enjoyed times of fellowship
with his disciples. Jesus’ closest circle of ministry partners (except
Judas, of course) came to finally understand the answer to that question, “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”They lived out their lives sharing the good
news and most were ultimately martyred as a result.

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?How do you answer that question?
Was Jesus an exemplary religious leader?There were many of those. Or perhaps His teaching skills appeal to
you.There was no limit of good teachers
in His time. His status as prophet?The
Bible features many prophets.Jesus
Himself gave the answer to that question; In John 10:30 Jesus says, “I and the Father are One.”John 3:16 tells us Jesus is our Savior, if
we accept Him.

In conclusion, Jesus was either a massive
liar, a raving lunatic…or…He was Who He said He was.What do you think?If you believe His claims, does your life
reflect that belief?Are you studying
God’s Word and applying those truths to everything you do?Or are you living out a shallow faith that
has you scattering when the going gets tough? Maybe you have not yet invited
Jesus to be Lord of your life.

What are you going to do this
week?Crucify Him through unbelief and
sin?Or by receiving Him
into your heart and living for Him?As
for me: Christ has risen from the dead and I am going to follow Him…all the way
to heaven!

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Winter here in the Upper Peninsula
means finding creative ways to exercise.Walking outside on the icy pavement while being assaulted by the north
wind off Lake Michigan, isn’t terribly enticing.Snowshoeing, snowboarding and skiing are for those who
embrace winter while other hardy souls tackle the snow with their fat tire
bikes. My winter exercise sometimes involves swimming laps at our local YMCA or
doing some sort of exercise DVD in the comfort of my living room, thus minimizing
the risk of broken bones.

I love summer and fall when kayaking
opportunities are only a few blocks away (we live close to a bay that comes in
from Lake Michigan); or I can take off on my bike and be on a country road in
10 minutes. Also, I can walk out my door and do the lakeside/park/beach island
path with no more preparation than putting on the right shoes.

I have a friend who teaches an
exercise class at our local community center. I decided to give it a try. After consulting
with my friend regarding the schedule and necessary supplies, I dug around in
the basement to dig out an old exercise mat and headed out the door.

I walked into the gym, looked around
and was surprised. It was a room of strangers, unusual for life in a small
community. A few faces looked vaguely
familiar but there wasn’t anyone I recognized enough to attach a name.I felt a bit awkward, kind of like the first
day of class when you don’t yet know the “rules” or the customs.

Nevertheless, I am a pretty bold
person and at my age I have overcome a lot of those insecurities that come with
not knowing the “landscape”.I found a
spot on the gym floor where I could see the instructor’s movements.

At this point, other than the
instructor, no one had spoken to me.However, as I staked out my spot and placed my mat I became aware of
someone trying to get my attention.I
turned to look at the woman behind me, ready to make conversation.Instead, she asked me to move a bit since she
couldn’t see the instructor. Hmm.That
was not an unreasonable request and she was very polite about it. But somehow
that brief interaction left me feeling even more on the “outside”.

Admittedly, I felt a bit unsettled.
It truly was a small thing but that class suddenly did not feel very welcoming.
I proceeded to struggle with movements
foreign to me, trying to catch on to a new routine.I was not at all sure I wanted to come back.
Mind you, no one was openly rude to me so it all seemed so trivial.

I’m a pretty determined person so I
decided I did not want to be discouraged that easily.Off I went to class the next week for another
try. This time was SO different; I ran into a couple of women I knew.Alice and I got into a wonderful conversation
before class started and another Alice greeted me very warmly at the end of the
class.Yet another woman (not an
“Alice”!) encouraged me to “hang in there” and come back.

That experience was a powerful lesson
to me, a strong reminder to be encouraging and welcoming, to be hospitable reaching
out to others. I realized I could make a huge difference in the life of another
person by just offering a smile, a kind word and an open heart.

Shouldn’t we apply that same
principle to our church culture?Think
back on the first Sunday you walked into a new church. What if it was your very
first time in a church and you had no idea what you were supposed to do, how
you were supposed to act.As a result of
my experience at that exercise class, I have a new resolve. Wherever I am, but
especially on Sunday mornings, I intend to watch for that unfamiliar face, to be
sensitive to the one standing alone looking confused.

I love the book of Proverbs with its
tidbits of wisdom. Proverbs 16:24 says:
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

It takes such little effort to offer
kindness to others as we travel this journey we call life.In this world where there is so much darkness
and confusion, we have opportunity to bring sweetness
and healing to anyone who crosses our
paths.May you and I be agents of change
as we seek to uplift those around us.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Gus (age three): “Daddy, where
Nana?”Daddy: “She left on the plane
last night after you went to bed.”Gus:
“Me miss Nana!”As you can imagine, my
“love-o-meter” was on overflow when I heard about that conversation.

My daughter-in-love texted me a
picture that Henry (age seven) submitted to his school journal. It showed two
stick people, one clearly labeled “Nana” and the other, “me”.We had our arms wound around each other and
underneath the picture he wrote: “My Nana came to town and it was AWESOME!”(Be still my heart.)

Love. A simple word with so many
meanings.At this time of year we
envision flowers, cards with hearts, romance and chocolate.Charlie and I recently attended a wonderful
dinner sponsored by our church, at a local resort restaurant – an early
celebration of Valentine’s Day.

I love watching “chick flicks”, at
least the ones that honor a moral code.Nothing like a good romance, with all the complications of the story
(assuming the guy and gal end up together!). Of course, Hollywood has tarnished
the whole idea of romantic love but, thankfully, through Christian sources
there are still some lovely movies available.

Is love limited to those “feel good”
moments?Are we loving each other only
when we are smiling and laughing?

I would suggest that love often makes
strong demands on us.Deep love happens
in the dark and tough events of life.The “Jesus on the cross”… kinds of events. The sacrificial loss of life
during war…. kinds of events. First Responders putting their own lives in danger…kinds of events.

Real love means choosing to birth and
love the baby in the womb who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.That one stares me in the face every time I
spend time with my six year old grandson, Jacob. Love is being in for the long
haul.

Real love means working hard on
marriage, sitting with a counselor and walking through the human sin areas to
get to the other side.

Real love may take the form of “tough
love” with an errant teenager or a loved one who needs help with an
addiction.

Real love may be choosing to make
funds available for a ministry instead of purchasing more ____ (fill in
the blank). “Sacrificial giving”?It
doesn’t even compare with the sacrifice Jesus made as he looked down from the
cross, praying,” Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

There is an old song containing the
words, “What the world needs now, is love, sweet love.”I would certainly agree with those words but
I wonder if the writer had a clue how much
the world needs real love.

There are many verses in the Bible on
love; after all, the Bible is the greatest love story ever told. 1
Corinthians 3:13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, thesethree; but
the greatest of these is love.”There are also scriptures highlighting God’s love for us using words
like “discipline”, “reproves”, “speaking truth”. (Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews
2:6, Revelation 3:19, to name a few.)

As we approach Valentine’s Day, let’s
turn our hearts toward the God Who spoke love to us through the words of His
book. As we pray for guidance and
direction, I challenge us to allow God to reprove and discipline us.What is He asking me or you to do?How much do we actually love God?Is He our ALL or do we place Him out of sight
at times?

I love my “Chick Flicks” and romance
novels but what I want most of all is to deeply love The One Who created me,
the One Who rescued, redeemed and restored me.You know that picture Henry drew?I envision God and I wrapping our arms around each other when I step
into eternity and I can’t wait to hear the words, “Judy, I love you” as I look
at Jesus’ nail pierced hands.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

One of the great blessings of this
season of my life is the freedom I have to travel.

Often my travels take me to Portland,
OR where 2 of the most wonderful grandchildren live! (I know, I’m a wee bit biased.) But my most recent adventure took me to North
Carolina. In the middle of a frigid,
wintry Upper Peninsula day, I got an overwhelming urge to visit my BFF.

Thankfully, I was able to get a last
minute ticket at a reasonable cost. After running my plans through my hubby,
and with no commitments pending that were not changeable, I got online and
booked my ticket.

It was a wonderful week, filled with
relaxing moments, the sharing of our lives, good food, movies and quiet time.
It was a time of refreshment and regeneration that flew by, and before I knew
it, it was time to head home.

VERY early (try 3:15am!) on the
morning of my departure my friend drove me to the airport, a tough hour for a
non morning person like me. After
checking my bag, I headed to my gate.
Thankfully everything went like clockwork and soon I was on my way.

I made my connecting flight in
Detroit (I never just assume that is going to happen per previous experiences!)
and by the time I boarded I was tired and ready to be home. As I was settling in for my short flight the
flight attendant got on the PA system; he ran through the usual instructions
about seat belts and “in case of a water landing”, how to manage the air mask,
etc. I zoned out having heard that message so many times.

And then a very real thought came to
me. “What if…?” What if suddenly there was a real emergency? I asked myself if I would truly remember all
of those instructions when it really mattered.
Would I remember where to find my life jacket? Would I remember where my closest exit
was? How easy it was to just zone out when I was getting instructions
I had heard so many times!

Hmm. That gave me pause…and I
connected this experience with my walk with Jesus. I began to ponder over the
many times I have heard Bible stories, or read familiar verses. What about John 3:16? That verse has been recited and heard so many
times that I wonder if it has become almost too familiar? The story of Jesus’ birth or the description
of the Easter events…all familiar for someone like me who has been in church
most of her life.

Here is my “profound thought” when
the storms of life hit me and I am floundering: Where do I turn when I can’t
easily discern direction, and chaotic thoughts abound? As a follower of Jesus,
I become desperate for comfort, direction, guidance and peace. Those wonderful Bible stories and lessons
become very valuable, life-saving even.
At that point in time, even if I have zoned out on them in the past, I urgently want to remember what God
says in His Word.

In Luke, chapter 24 we read about the
women who went to the tomb of Jesus, having no idea what they would actually
encounter. They were unprepared for what they saw…the empty tomb. Two men (angels?) spoke to them, reminding
them of all Jesus had told them about what was going to happen to Him. And the scriptures say, “and they remembered His words”. I want to remember the stories taught to me
over and over again from God’s Word.
Unlike the airplane experience, I don’t want to zone out on God’s timeless Truths…ever again.

John 12:16, “His disciples did not remember these things at
first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had
been written about Him and had been done to Him.”
Those disciples who had traveled with Jesus throughout His brief time on
earth…do you suppose they occasionally “zoned
out” when Jesus was preaching? Or at the
very least were distracted by other thoughts?
Praise God for how He brought His Truths into the minds of Jesus’ followers
when they most needed them.

What about you? Have you heard stories and verses over and
over again and “zoned out”? I challenge you (and me) to allow fresh
breezes to fan the timeless Truths of the Bible. Will you join me in reveling in the Truth of
God’s Word, no matter how many times you have heard it?

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

I don’t know about you but, truth be
told, I’m not one for New Years Eve celebrations. You know the kind: party hats, Auld Lang
Syne, toasting the old and ringing in the new…that. Oh, there was a time when those traditions
were important but as I age, I am content to “celebrate” within the warmth of
my own home.

Today is the very first day of 2018
and, true to my previous statement, Charlie and I enjoyed a quiet evening at
home. Actually, it was rather amazing
that we both stayed awake long enough to watch the ball drop in Times Square!

However, something of significance did happen right outside our living room
window. We are immensely blessed to live in a community in Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula where trees, lakes and wildlife are inherent in our geographic DNA. We have snow and very cold temperatures right
now, another good reason to stay indoors.

In the midst of the ordinariness of
life, I heard the sounds of fireworks.
Yes! Our small city was enjoying its own version of the NYC fireworks
and “ball drop”; only here it is a “pasty drop”. (The pasty is a local food with a fascinating
history…not to be confused with pastie!)
Our local park, just blocks away, hosted both events and we loved
watching the fireworks from our living room window as they exploded their
vibrant colors across the sky.

As we focused on the excitement
outside, a word flashed through my mind.
As we basked in the light and warmth of our fireplace, grateful to NOT
be outdoors in the frigid air, the word HOPE danced through my brain and around
my heart. A simple word filled with
profound meaning. How is it that in this
world with so much sadness and suffering, we continue to look forward with HOPE?

So many of my friends and loved ones
are struggling in different ways.
Marriages are stressed, finances inadequate, health threatened. How can we approach a new year with so much HOPE?
If it depends on wealth….well we know how quickly that can
disappear. A phone call after a lab test
can change a HOPE that is anchored in
good health. A house/business fire can
make worldly goods and jobs disappear within minutes.

1st Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be
born again to a living HOPE (my
emphasis) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, …”

Romans 15:13, “May the God of HOPE (emphasis
mine) fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the
Holy Spirit you may abound in HOPE.” (emphasis mine)

Do you get that?! We have every reason to celebrate, to set off
fireworks, to proclaim and laugh and rejoice. When we truly comprehend that our
HOPE is not in the things of this world…then we know the health report,
bank statement or even the worst catastrophe we can imagine cannot keep us from
the HOPE that lies in Jesus.

He is coming back! (1st
Thessalonians, chapters 4 and 5).
Maybe 2018 will be the year of His return. Why not?!
In Revelation 21:5 Jesus says He will make all things new. We
don’t have to wait on His return to experience new life. II Corinthians
5:17 promises that when we put our trust in Jesus, WE BECOME NEW!

I can’t think of a better way to look
forward to a year filled with HOPE
than to sink deeply into the promises God gave us through His Son, Jesus. What a wonderful way to approach the unknown.
We may not know what is ahead but God is already there. We can hold to the same promise Jesus made to
His disciples when he said He had prepared the way. (John 14)

I don’t know about you, but my HOPE is in the One whose birthday we
recently celebrated. Jesus was born into
humble beginnings, lived a perfect life, suffered on the cross, died, was buried and then resurrected from the dead. From the cross He declared, “It is finished.” He paved the way. His life, death and resurrection means, when
we make Jesus Lord of our lives, we have HOPE
for today as well as for eternity.